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Think Tank 2022
Interreligious Association for Peace and Development
UPF-Peru Hosts an Event, “Unity under One God for Peace in Peru”
Thursday, December 29, 2022
Lima, Peru—On Thursday, December 29, 2022, UPF Peru headquarters brought together outstanding leaders and Ambassadors for Peace, including the president of IAPD-Peru, Bishop Jesús Mejía Quiroz, and the secretary general of IAPD-Peru, Pastor Orestes Sánchez Luis, in a special event, “Unity under One God for Peace in Peru.” This event was sponsored by the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD-Peru) and UPF-Peru.
Other participants included: Pastor Violeta Nolasco Negreiros, Renewal Apostolic Church; Sheikh Mohammed Kobbi, Imam of the Mosque of San Borja - Islamic Association of Peru; Archbishop Carlos Enrique Segura Beltrán, the Anglican and Historical Church of Peru; Archbishop Ángel Ernesto Morán Vidal, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Church of Peru; Bishop Fray Aparicio Fuentes Guizado, superior general of the Risen Christ Apostolic Catholic Church of Peru; Pastor Luis Acero Picchu, Pastores de Huaral Fraternity; and Pastor Arturo Sigfrido Maravi Calderón, founder of the Christian Association “Luz en el Desierto.” All the representative religious leaders participated in the Interreligious Ceremony of the Holy Water of Life and Peace. A representative prayer for peace and unity was given by Pastor Orestes Sánchez Luis. Subsequently, each of the representatives offered a message of peace and said a prayer for peace in our country and the world.
“We need to love and live according to our faith, promoting peace and unity, following the example of our great leaders. Like the apostle Saint Paul, we must love our country, which is mired in multiple differences,” said Bishop Jesús Mejía Quiroz, president of the Anglican Catholic Church of Peru and president of IAPD-Peru. The bishop called for God to grant wisdom to understand His words and to become messengers of peace.
For his part, Pastor Orestes Sánchez Luis of World Christian Mission Church “Luz del Mundo” and secretary general of IAPD-Peru said, “I consider that, if we spread the word of God to reach more people, we can have a different country.” He made a call to develop initiatives such as a Walk for Peace that involves everyone. “God doesn’t want conflicts,” he concluded.
“God longs for Peace. By uniting men with God, there peace begins in us. Therefore, it’s the responsibility of religious leaders to teach the word of God to the authorities and the community,” said Pastor Violeta Nolasco Negreiros. In the same way, Sheikh Mohamed Kobbi said, “We, as religious leaders, play a very important role and we can make a change in the current situation of Peru. Thank God we have the power to convey a message of peace that reaches people’s hearts.”
For his part, Archbishop Carlos Enrique Segura Beltrán reinforced the importance of the unity of all religious leaders to achieve peace. In the same way, Archbishop Ángel Ernesto Morán Vidal offered a deep message for the cessation of violence in Peru and the world, and invited everyone to become messengers of Peace and promote unity.
Bishop Fray Aparicio Fuentes Guizado encouraged the audience to persevere in achieving peace, both internally and with others, loving our neighbors and having God as the center of our lives.
“How can we live together being so different? The only way to achieve this is through the character of God, who is a being of love, a being of Peace,” said Pastor Luis Acero Picchu. Finally, Pastor Arturo Sigfrido Maravi Calderón invited the audience to persevere in offering a message of peace and love, loving one another.
As part of the celebration, all the religious leaders joined hands as a sign of love, peace and harmony, united under one God and for the Peace of Peru to the sound of the song “We Are the World,” accompanied by the Little Angels of Korea via video. The closing remarks were given by Mr. Jaime Fernández Túpac, secretary general of UPF-Peru.